The present invention relates to salts of compounds having a benzimidazolic structure, uses thereof and a process for the preparation thereof.

In greater detail, the invention relates to salts of anthelmintic compounds with a benzimidazolic structure, namely, albendazole (ABZ), Fenbendazole (FBZ), Triclabendazole (TRBZ), or sulphoxides thereof, flubendazole (FLZ), mebendazole (MBZ), oxibendazole (OBZ), thiabendazole (TBZ), cambendazole (CBZ), parbendazole (PBZ) and nocodazole (NCZ), the use thereof and a process for the preparation thereof.

Anthelmintic compounds containing a benzimidazolic (BZD) nucleus represent an important class of drugs used worldwide in the treatment and prevention of parasitic diseases that develop in farms animals, pets and humans.

For example, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of infectious diseases that mainly affect the poorer segments of modern societies, especially rural populations and the most disadvantaged urban ones. Unexpectedly, these diseases are present, and on the rise, also in emerging market economies including the group of the twenty most industrialised countries in the world (G20). More than a billion people in the world are affected by these diseases, which are defined as "neglected" because they are characterized by scant attention from political decision makers, a lack of priority within health care strategies, inadequate research and the allocation of limited resources. Among NTDs, helminthiases transmitted from the ground (caused mainly by Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale) are responsible for the largest health impact. Recent estimates indicate that in 2010, more than 1.4 billion people were infected with at least one of these 4 species of helminths, with a global health impact of around 5.2 million DALYs (disability-adjusted life years).

In recent years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has promoted the concept of integrated preventive chemotherapy as the main strategy for controlling and eliminating many helminthiases. For example, in 2013 alone, the WHO administered 200 million doses of albendazole (ABZ) and mebendazole (MBZ).

Due to their interaction with microtubules, in recent years some anthelmintic drugs have been extensively studied also as antitumour agents. The published experimental results are indicative of a significant clinical potential for the use of ABZ, ABZ sulphoxide (ABZ-SO), MBZ and nocodazole (NCZ) in the treatment of several tumour forms. In particular, MBZ has demonstrated cytotoxicity against cell lines of glioblastoma multiforme (the most common and most aggressive brain cancer) and ovarian carcinoma (the most lethal malignant gynecological tumour).

However, due to their low water solubility, these drugs cannot be administered parenterally and if administered orally do not reach the systemic circulation in concentrations making them suitable for use in antitumour therapies. Therefore, for a careful evaluation on a systemic scale of the antitumour activity of β-tubulin inhibiting anthelmintic drugs it is necessary to use new pharmaceutical formulations that are more water soluble.

At present, anthelmintic drugs are used in veterinary and human therapy only in a non-salified form, with a sole exception that will be described here below, and due to their limited water solubility they are formulated only for oral use in tablets or suspensions. Following oral administration, their absorption is limited and variable and only a small percentage of the drug reaches the systemic circulation. Therefore, in order to produce the desired pharmacological action it is necessary to use a very high dose of the drug. It has been attempted to remedy the poor solubility of anthelmintic drugs by using organic co-solvents and surfactants or by complexing with β-cyclodextrin and derivatives (e.g. ΗΡ-β-CD), but the solubility achieved has not been sufficient to prepare suitable injectable products.

Albendazole sulphoxide (ABZ-SO), also called ricobendazole

(RBZ), is the only anthelmintic used in the veterinary practice in a salified form, more specifically in the form of a hydrochloride. RBZ is poorly soluble in water and slightly soluble in the majority of injectable co- solvents or surfactants. The products Bayverm Pi ^® (Bayer Argentina) and Sintyotal-R ^® (Biogenesis Argentina), highly acidic solutions in which RBZ is present in a concentration of between 10 and 15% (w/v), are presently marketed as injectable. The adjustment of the pH to very high levels of acidity enables the protonation of the basic nitrogen of the imidazole ring and the consequent formation of a water-soluble salt. The bioavailability of these products after subcutaneous injection in cattle does not reach over 40%. This low level of bioavailability has been attributed to post-injection precipitation of the active ingredient and a slow and incomplete re- dissolution at the injection site. Moreover, the post-injection precipitation of the drug is responsible for possible negative effects such as mechanical irritation or thrombosis in the tissues at the injection site.

The sulphinyl-benzimidazolic anthelmintic drugs ABZ, fenbendazole (FBZ) and triclabendazole (TRBZ) are rapidly biotransformed in vivo into the corresponding sulphoxides (ABZ-SO, FBZ-SO and TRBZ-SO, respectively), which are then further oxidated into sulphones. In vivo, the carbamate group of the sulphone is hydrolyzed to amino sulphone as a consequence of the hydrolytic splitting of the amide bond. Both the sulphur and sulphoxide forms show anthelmintic activity, whilst the sulphone and amino sulphone are inactive metabolites.

The ABZ-SO, FBZ-SO and TRBZ-SO forms have a stereogenic centre consisting of the sulphur atom of the sulphoxide group. In vivo studies have demonstrated that the plasma concentration of the dextrorotatory form of ABZ-SO ((+)-ABZ-SO) is predominant over the levorotatory form ((-)-ABZ-SO) in patients treated with ABZ. Moreover, an accumulation of (+)-ABZ-SO has been observed in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurocysticercosis.

The pharmacokinetic studies available for ABZ-SO have demonstrated that the relative plasma concentrations of the dextro- and levorotatory enantiomers of ABZ-SO vary according to species, age and gender of the host animal and species of parasite. The (-)-ABZ-SO enantiomer has shown to be predominant in rats and mice, whereas the (+)-ABZ-SO enantiomer is the prevalent species in sheep, goats, dogs, cattle and humans. These data point to a stereoselectivity in drug/organism interaction and suggest a potential therapeutic application of the individual enantiomers.

In order to verify the biological activity and efficacy of enantiomers of sulphoxides and evaluate their efficacy in future clinical studies it is however mandatory to obtain more soluble forms of the individual enantiomers in a simple and economical manner.

However, the ABZ-SO, FBZ-SO and TRBZ-SO sulphoxides are only slightly soluble in ethanol and methanol and cannot be resolved in discrete amounts, for example by HPLC resolution. In particular, the solubility of ABZ-SO (ricobendazole) in ethanol is 1.36 mg/ml whereas in water it is 0.062 mg/ml (JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, VOL. 94, NO. 5, MAY 2005). Moreover, no asymmetric synthetic processes capable of producing the two enantiomers of ABZ-SO, FBZ-SO and TRBZ-SO with a high degree of optical purity are known in the literature.

In light of the foregoing, therefore, the need to be able to have new forms of anthelmintic compounds with a benzimidazolic structure that overcome the advantages of the known forms is clearly apparent. The solution according to the present invention fits into this context; it aims to provide new forms of the anthelmintic drugs albendazole (ABZ), fenbendazole (FBZ), triclabendazole (TRBZ), flubendazole (FLZ), mebendazole (MBZ), oxibendazole (OBZ), thiabendazole (TBZ), cambendazole (CBZ), parbendazole (PBZ) and nocodazole (NCZ) which are more water soluble than the starting compounds, easily obtainable synthetically and in high yields.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new more soluble forms of chiral compounds of albendazole sulphoxide (ABZ-SO), fenbendazole sulphoxide (FBZ-SO) and triclabendazole sulphoxide (TRBZ-SO), possibly usable as individual enantiomers, which can be obtained using processes that are cost-effective and easy to implement on a preparative, semi-industrial or industrial scale.

According to the present invention, therefore, new salts of the above-mentioned compounds were prepared, said salts being more water soluble than the non-salified compounds. This chemical transformation enables a parenteral, as well as oral, administration of the drug, greater bioavailability and the attainment of optimal therapeutic levels at lower doses than those envisaged for the non-salified forms.

Unlike sulphinyl-benzimidazolic compounds, which are not chiral, the ABZ-SO, FBZ-SO and TRBZ-SO sulphoxides according to the invention are chiral in that the presence of a sulphur stereogenic centre of the sulphoxide group imparts chirality to the system. It is therefore possible, by varying the stereochemistry of the sulphoxides, to modulate the biological response and minimize side effects, an extremely advantageous strategy for compounds intended for human use.

It is known that the poor solubility of a racemic sample in the mobile phase (< 1 mg ml_ ^-1 ) is a limiting factor in the processes of enantiomer separation on an industrial scale. For example, ABZ-SO is practically insoluble in n-hexane and water and slightly soluble in ethanol (circa 1 mg mL ^-1 ) and methanol.

Unlike non-salified sulphoxides, the salts of the ABZ-SO, FBZ-SO and TRBZ-SO sulphoxides according to the present invention exhibit good solubility in ethanol and methanol (>10 mg/ml), which permits the resolution of the raceme by HPLC. For example, the ABZ-SO-Na salt according to the present invention has a solubility in ethanol and in methanol of about 30 mg mL ^-1 .

Therefore, according to the present invention, the enantiomers with an absolute (R) and (S) configuration of the salts of the ABZ-SO, FBZ-SO and TRBZ-SO sulphoxides were obtained by HPLC resolution of the racemic salts using stationary Pirkle-type chiral phases or ones based on polysaccharide derivatives. The mobile phases used in the enantiomeric separation consist of mixtures of hexane/alcohol (methanol, ethanol or 2- propanol), hexane/organic modifier (dichloromethane, chloroform, THF, dioxane, ethyl acetate), hexane/alcohol/organic modifier (alcohol and modifier as described above), pure organic solvents such as methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate or acetonitrile or hydro-organic mixtures containing methanol, ethanol or acetonitrile and water, wherein the percentage of water ranges from 1 to 60% (v/v). In particular, the HPLC resolution was conducted on an amount of racemic compound comprised between 5 and 20 mg per chromatography run using chiral columns based on polysaccharide derivatives (Chiralpak IA, Chiralpak IB, Chiralpak IC, Chiralpak ID, Chiralpak IE, Chiralpak IF, Chiralpak AD, Chiralpak AS) with a geometry of 250 mm x 10 mm I.D. and mobile phases consisting of pure methanol or ethanol. The enantiomers isolated by enantioselective HPLC showed enantiomeric excesses greater than 98%.

Preliminary water solubility tests showed that the salts according to the present invention are more soluble than the corresponding non-salified compounds, the effect of salification on solubility showing to be more marked for the sulphoxides.

The synthetic strategy for preparing the salts of the invention comprises a single simple salification step, wherein the nitrogen atom of the imidazole nucleus with acidic characteristics is deprotonated by a base capable of releasing a cation A ⁺ⁿ = Li ⁺ , Na ⁺ , K ⁺ , Mg ⁺² or Ca ⁺² . Unlike the non-salified forms, the saline forms with A ⁺ⁿ = Li ⁺ , Na ⁺ , K ⁺ are water soluble.

The structures of the salts of the benzimidazolic anthelmintic com ounds, ossibl chiral, are shown below:

Therefore, the specific subject matter of the present invention relates to salts of benzimidazolic compounds with metals selected in the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium or calcium, said benzimidazolic compounds being selected in the group consisting of albendazole (ABZ), fenbendazole (FBZ), triclabendazole (TRBZ), flubendazole (FLZ), mebendazole (MBZ), oxibendazole (OBZ), thiabendazole (TBZ), cambendazole (CBZ), parbendazole (PBZ), nocodazole (NCZ), albendazole sulphoxide (ABZ-SO), fenbendazole sulphoxide (FBZ-SO) or triclabendazole sulphoxide (TRBZ-SO), said sulphoxides being in racemic form or in the form of an R- or S- enantiometer.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the metals are Na ⁺ or K ⁺ .

Moreover, the salts according to the present invention can be complexed with β-cyclodextrin or derivatives thereof with the aim of further increasing the solubility of the compounds.

The present invention further relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising or consisting of at least one salt as defined above, as the active ingredient, together with one or more excipients and/or adjuvants.

The pharmaceutical composition according to the present invention can further comprise at least one drug selected in the group consisting in anthelmintics, antitumourals and proton pump inhibitors.

Among the anthelmintic drugs, the following can be used: abamectin, praziquantel, diethylcarbamazine, niclosamide, ivermectin, suramin, pirantel, levamisole, octadepsipeptides such as, for example, emodepside, aminoacetonitrile derivatives such as, for example, monepantel, and spiroindoles such as, for example, derquantel.

Among the antitumour drugs, mention can be made, for example, of taxanes such as, for example, paclitaxel, docetaxel and cabazitaxel, camptothecins such as, for example, irinotecan and topotecan, Vinca alkaloids, platinum complexes such as, for example, oxaliplatin, cisplatin and carboplatin, temozolomide, gemcitabin, capecitabine and bevacizumab.

The proton pump inhibitors that can be used according to the present invention are for example omeprazole, lansoprazole, rabeprazole, and pantoprazole, in a racemic or enantiomerically pure form, or salts thereof.

The present invention further relates to the salt or the pharmaceutical composition as defined above for use as a medication.

In particular, the salt or the pharmaceutical composition as defined above can be advantageously used as anthelmintics or antitumourals.

The tumours that can be treated according to the present invention are, for example, ovarian carcinoma, adrenocortical carcinoma, lung carcinoma, pancreatic tumours, breast tumours, colorectal cancer, kidney tumours, melanoma, glioblastoma multiforme, osteosarcoma, leukaemia and lymphomas.

The present invention further relates to the combination of at least one salt as defined above with at least one further anthelmintic drug, for separate or sequential use in the treatment of helminthiases. Said at least one further anthelmintic drug can be selected in the group consisting in abamectin, praziquantel, diethylcarbamazine, niclosamide, ivermectin, suramin, pirantel, levamisole, octadepsipeptides such as emodepside, aminoacetonitrile derivatives such as monepantel, and spiroindoles such as derquantel. The subject matter of the present invention also relates to the combination of at least one salt as defined above with at least one antitumour drug and/or proton pump inhibitor, for separate or sequential use in the treatment of tumours.

Among antitumour drugs, use can be made of taxanes, such as paclitaxel, docetaxel and cabazitaxel, camptothecins such as irinotecan and topotecan, Vinca alkaloids, platinum complexes such as oxaliplatin, cisplatin and carboplatin, temozolomide, gemcitabine, capecitabine and bevacizumab.

The tumours that can be treated according to the present invention are, for example, ovarian carcinoma, adrenocortical carcinoma, lung carcinoma, pancreatic tumours, breast tumours, colorectal cancer, kidney tumours, melanoma, glioblastoma multiforme, osteosarcoma, leukaemia and lymphoma.

Among proton pump inhibitors, use can be made of omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole and rabeprazole, in a racemic or enantiomerically pure form, or salts thereof.

According to the present invention, "separate use" is meant to indicate the simultaneous administration of the two or more compounds of the combination according to the invention in pharmaceutically distinct forms.

The term "sequential use" is meant to indicate the successive administration of the two or more compounds of the composition according to the invention, each in a pharmaceutically distinct form.

The subject matter of the present invention further relates to a process for the preparation of the salts according to the present invention, said process comprising or consisting in the following steps: a) mixing a benzimidazolic compound selected in the group consisting in albendazole (ABZ), fenbendazole (FBZ), triclabendazole (TRBZ), flubendazole (FLZ), mebendazole (MBZ), oxibendazole (OBZ), thiabendazole (TBZ), cambendazole (CBZ), parbendazole (PBZ), nocodazole (NCZ), albendazole sulphoxide (ABZ-SO), fenbendazole sulphoxide (FBZ-SO) and triclabendazole sulphoxide (TRBZ-SO), said sulphoxides being in racemic form or in the form of an R- or S-enantiometer, with a base capable of releasing a cation selected in the group consisting in lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium or calcium in a suitable solvent, such as, for example, ethanol, methanol, 2-propanol or 1-propanol, pure or in hydroalcoholic mixtures; b) allowing to react until the formation of the salt. Step b) of the process according to the present invention can be conducted at a temperature ranging from room temperature to the reflux temperature.

The reaction mixture is cooled and filtered and the solvent is made to evaporate, for example under reduced pressure.

The salts of the present invention are generally obtainable from active ingredients of low-cost generic drugs via a single synthetic step which runs with quantitative yields. For example, ABZ, the starting product for the synthesis of the salt ABZ-A, presently costs about one thousand euro per kg.

Examples of bases capable of releasing the cation are LiOH, NaOH, KOH or LiOR, LiNH2, LiNR2, NaOR, NaNH2, NaNR2, KOR, KNH2 or KNR2, where R is an ethyl group.

As stated above, a solvent suitable for use in the process of the present invention is for example ethanol; other suitable solvents are methanol, 2-propanol and propanol, pure or in hydroalcoholic mixtures. Therefore, salts with A ⁺ = Li ⁺ , Na ⁺ or K ⁺ are prepared treating the neutral form of the benzimidazolic compounds listed above with LiOH, NaOH or KOH in ethanol or with LiOR, LiNH2, LiNR2, NaOR, NaNH2, NaNR2, KOR, KNH2 or KNR2, where R is an ethyl group.

The salts with A ⁿ⁺ = Na ⁺ or K ⁺ can be converted into another salt with n=2 and A ⁿ⁺ = Mg ⁺² or Ca ⁺² with an identical formula via an exchange of cations. When the starting salt and final salt product are sufficiently soluble in the reaction environment, this exchange can be achieved using a cationic exchange resin saturated with the cation desired in the product. The exchange can also be carried out by exploiting the lower solubility of the desired salt. Based on this principle, for example, the ion Na ⁺ can be exchanged with Ca ²⁺ or Mg ²⁺ .

Moreover, when the salts of the invention are the salts of albendazole sulphoxide, fenbendazole sulphoxide or triclabendazole sulphoxide, the process of the invention can further comprise a step c) of separating the enantiopure forms of said salts, for example by HPLC on polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases.

The invention will be described below by way of illustration and not by way of limitation, with particular reference to some illustrative examples.

EXAMPLE 1 : Preparation of the salts of benzamidazolic compounds according to the present invention

ABZ-Na synthesis. A weighed amount of sodium hydroxide (1.0 eq) was solubilised in 40 ml_ of ethanol. ABZ (1.0 eq) was then added to the ethanol solution. The reaction mixture was heated under reflux for 2 hours. At the end of the reaction the mixture was cooled and filtered. The solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure. ABZ sodium salt appeared as a pale pink-coloured solid; mp 269-270 °C; IR v _max 3338 (v N-H), 1708 (v C=0), 1626 (v C=N), 1583 (v C=C), 1262 (v C-N), 1085 (v S=0), 733 (δ C _SP 2-H) cm ^-1 ; H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ): δ 0.94-1.01 (m, 3H, CH ₃ ), 1 .52-1.57 (m, 2H, CH ₂ ), 2.78-2.82 (m, 2H, CH ₂ ), 3.69 (s, 3H, OCH ₃ ), 6.95-6.97 (m, 1 H, Ar), 7.27 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H, Ar), 7.45 (s, 1 H, Ar), 12.80 (bs, 1 H, NH, D ₂ 0 exch.); ¹³ C NMR (101 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ) δ 13.55 (CH ₃ ), 22.67 (CH ₃ CH ₂ ), 38.12 (CH ₂ S), 51.56 (OCH ₃ ), 1 12.98 (Ar), 1 17.24 (Ar), 123.20 (Ar), 123.60 (Ar), 139.00 (Ar), 140.45 (Ar), 158.97 (C=0), 160.36 (C=N). A synthetic procedure identical to the one shown for obtaining ABZ- Na was applied for the other salts of the present invention.

ABZ-K. White-coloured solid, yield = 98%, mp 270-271 °C; IR v _max 3239 (v N-H), 1608 (v C=N), 1561 (v C=C), 1270 (v C-N), 787 (δ C _sp2 -H) cm ^-1 ; ¹ H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ): 5 0.95 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H, CH ₃ ), 1.50- 1.55 (m, 2H, CH ₂ ), 2.77-2.80 (m, 2H, CH ₂ ), 3.57 (s, 3H, OCH ₃ ), 6.91 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H, Ar), 7.13 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H, Ar), 7.28 (s, 1 H, Ar), 12.01 (bs, 1 H, NH, D ₂ O exch.); ¹³ C NMR (101 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ) δ 13.54 (CH ₃ ), 22.64 (CH ₃ CH ₂ ), 38.03 (CH ₂ S), 51.64 (OCH ₃ ), 1 12.76 (Ar), 1 15.93 (Ar), 123.19 (Ar), 123.60 (Ar), 139.12 (Ar), 141.15 (Ar), 158.93 (C=O), 161.36 (C=N).

ABZ-SO-Na. White-coloured solid, yield = 97%, mp 271-274 °C; IR m _ax 3188 (v N-H), 1704 (v C=O), 1618 (v C=N), 1581 (v C=C), 1264 (v C- N), 1 194 (v C-O), 1098 (v S=O), 734 (δ C _sp2 -H) cm ^-1 ; ¹ H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d _e ): δ 3.64 (s, 3H, OCH ₃ ), 7.06-7.12 (m, 4H, Ar), 7.25 (t, J = 7.6 Hz, 2H, Ar), 7.40 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H, Ar), 7.58 (s, 1 H, Ar), 12.93 (bs, 1 H, NH, D ₂ O exch.); ¹³ C NMR (101 MHz, DMSO-d _e ) δ 51.78 (OCH ₃ ), 1 14.10 (Ar), 120.00 (Ar), 125.57 (Ar), 126.01 (Ar), 127.07 (Ar), 129.41 (Ar), 140.52 (Ar), 157.55 (C=O), 158.86 (C=N).

ABZ-SO-K. White-coloured solid, yield = 97%, mp 262-264 °C; IR v _max 3228 (v N-H), 1704 (v C=O), 1610 (v C=N), 1560 (v C=C), 1263 (v C-

N), 1 185 (v C-O), 1097 (v S=O), 734 (δ C _sp2 -H) cm ^-1 ; ¹ H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d _e ): δ 3.63 (s, 3H, OCH ₃ ), 7.09-7.14 (m, 4H, Ar), 7.25 (t, J = 7.6 Hz, 2H, Ar), 7.39 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H, Ar), 7.52 (s, 1 H, Ar), 12.84 (bs, 1 H, NH, D ₂ O exch.); ¹³ C NMR (101 MHz, DMSO-d _e ) δ 51.84 (OCH ₃ ), 1 14.13 (Ar), 1 19.22 (Ar), 120.71 (Ar), 123.61 (Ar), 125.72 (Ar), 126.29 (Ar), 127.29 (Ar), 129.46 (Ar), 139.64 (Ar), 140.18 (Ar), 156.40 (C=O), 158.90 (C=N).

FBZ-Na. White-coloured solid, yield = 96%, mp 270-272 °C; IR v _max 3362 (v N-H), 1726 (v C=O), 1624 (v C=N), 1507 (v C=C), 1271 (v C-N), 1 192 (v C-O), 1093 (v S=O), 748 (δ C _sp2 -H) cm ^-1 ; ¹ H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-de): δ 3.71 (s, 3H, OCH ₃ ), 7.28 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H, Ar), 7.42-7.53 (m, 4H, Ar), 7.63-7.68 (m, 3H, Ar); ^{1 J} C NMR (101 MHz, CD ₃ OD) δ 51.21 (OCH ₃ ), 1 10.75 (Ar), 1 13.20 (Ar), 1 17.39 (Ar), 124.31 (Ar), 128.93 (Ar), 130.50 (Ar), 133.30 (Ar), 140.01 (Ar), 143.18 (Ar), 145.09 (Ar), 159.74 (C=O), 160.72 (C=N).

FBZ-K. White-coloured solid, yield = 98%, mp 238-240 °C; 3336 (v

N-H), 1712 (v C=O), 1621 (v C=N), 1522 (v C=C), 1269 (v C-N), 1 189 (v C-O), 1083 (v S=O), 746 (δ C _sp2 -H) cm ^-1 ; ¹ H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ): δ 3.56 (s, 3H, OCH ₃ ), 7.1 1-7.14 (m, 1 H, Ar), 7.25 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1 H, Ar), 7.44-7.52 (m, 4H, Ar), 7.61 (d, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H, Ar), 1 1.83 (bs, 1 H, NH, D ₂ O exch.); ¹³ C NMR (101 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ) δ 51.66 (OCH ₃ ), 109.34 (Ar), 1 12.86 (Ar), 1 16.21 (Ar), 124.43 (Ar), 129.54 (Ar), 130.62 (Ar), 134.26 (Ar), 139.69 (Ar), 143.1 1 (Ar), 147.76 (Ar), 160.58 (C=O), 160.89 (C=N).

TRBZ-Na. Yellow-coloured solid, yield = 96%, mp >250 °C (dec); IR v _max 31 12 (v C _sp 2-H), 1613 (v C=N), 1573 (v C=C), 1271 (v C-N), 733 (δ C _SP 2-H) cm ^-1 ; ¹ H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ): δ 2.91 (s, 3H, SCH ₃ ), 6.95 (s, 1 H, Ar), 7.13-7.39 (m, 3H, Ar), 8.02 (s, 1 H, Ar); ¹³ C NMR (101 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ) 5 35.60 (SCH ₃ ), 106.32 (Ar), 1 16.33 (Ar), 1 18.21 (Ar), 120.56 (Ar), 122.02 (Ar), 126.77 (Ar), 135.1 1 (Ar), 137.41 (Ar), 137.98 (Ar), 141.00 (Ar), 154.01 (OAr), 154.09 (OAr), 160.95 (C=N).

TRBZ-K. Yellow-coloured solid, yield = 98%, mp >250 °C (dec); IR v _max 3106 (v C _SP 2-H), 1604 (v C=N), 1571 (v C=C), 1279 (v C-N), 755 (δ C _SP 2-H) cm ^-1 ; ¹ H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ): 6 2.89 (s, 3H, SCH ₃ ), 6.90 (s, 1 H, Ar), 7.09-7.40 (m, 3H, Ar), 7.97 (s, 1 H, Ar); ¹³ C NMR (101 MHz, DMSO-de) δ 35.55 (SCH ₃ ), 105.14 (Ar), 1 15.55 (Ar), 1 18.68 (Ar), 120.33 (Ar), 123.32 (Ar), 126.56 (Ar), 135.69 (Ar), 136.1 1 (Ar), 137.34 (Ar), 140.76 (Ar), 153.45 (OAr), 153.67 (OAr), 161.1 1 (C=N).

TRBZ-SO-Na. Brown-coloured solid, yield 96%, mp >250 °C (dec); IR v max 3105 (v C _sp2 -H), 1634 (v C=N), 1590 (v C=C), 1248 (v C-N), 1077 (v S=O), 723 (δ C _SP 2-H) cm ^-1 ; ¹ H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ): δ 3.11 (s, 3H, SOCH ₃ ), 7.12 (s, 1 H, Ar), 7.29-7.45 (m, 3H, Ar), 8.27 (s, 1 H, Ar); ¹³ C NMR (101 MHz, DMSO-de) δ 54.86 (SCH ₃ ), 108.87 (Ar), 1 17.57 (Ar), 1 19.24 (Ar), 121.65 (Ar), 124.34 (Ar), 126.89 (Ar), 133.45 (Ar), 134.76 (Ar), 136.76 (Ar), 141.56 (Ar), 152.07 (OAr), 153.55 (OAr), 159.67 (C=N).

TRBZ-SO-K. Brown-coloured solid, yield = 99%, mp >250 °C (dec); IR v _max 31 10 (v C _sp 2-H), 1628 (v C=N), 1577 (v C=C), 1286 (v C-N), 1088 (v S=O), 727 (δ C _sp2 -H) cm ^-1 ; ¹ H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ): δ 3.15 (s, 3H, SOCH ₃ ), 7.03 (s, 1 H, Ar), 7.22-7.56 (m, 3H, Ar), 8.04 (s, 1 H, Ar); ¹³ C NMR (101 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ) δ 54.04 (SCH ₃ ), 107.98 (Ar), 1 16.43 (Ar), 1 18.12 (Ar), 120.54 (Ar), 124.55 (Ar), 127.13 (Ar), 136.08 (Ar), 136.87 (Ar), 137.52 (Ar), 141.33 (Ar), 153.12 (OAr), 153.79 (OAr), 160.76 (C=N).

Thiabendazole-Na (TBZ-A). White-coloured solid, yield = 96%, mp 299-300 °C; IR v _max 3085 (v C _sp2 -H), 2985 (v C _sp3 -H), 1405 (v C=C), 1229 (v C-N), 740 (δ C _SP 2-H) cm ^-1 ; ¹ H NMR (300 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ): δ 7.17-7.20 (q, 2H, Ar), 7.54-7.57 (q, 2H, Ar), 8.42-8.43 (d, J = 2.4 Hz, 1 H, Ar), 9.31- 9.32 (d, J = 1.8 Hz, 1 H, Ar); ¹³ C NMR (75 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ) δ 1 19.85 (Ar), 122.58 (Ar), 147.50 (Ar), 147.57 (Ar), 156.06 (C=N).

Mebenbendazole-Na (MBZ-A). Yellow-coloured solid, yield = 94%, mp 288-289 °C (dec); IR v _max 3199 (v N-H), 1619 (v C=N), 1563 (v C=C), 1280 (v C-N), 791 (δ C _sp2 -H) cm ^-1 ; ¹ H NMR (300 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ): δ 3.44 (s, 3H, CH ₃ ), 6.97-6.99 (d, J = 8.1 Hz, 1 H, Ar), 7.10-7.13 (dd, 1 H, Ar), 7.42-7.60 (m, 6H, Ar); ¹³ C NMR (75 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ) δ 51.18 (OCH ₃ ), 1 1 1.16 (Ar), 1 15.37 (Ar), 120.28 (Ar), 123.21 (Ar), 128.17 (Ar), 129.27 (Ar), 130.31 (Ar), 141.82 (C=N), 161.17 (NHCO), 195.60 (CO).

Oxibendazole-Na (OBZ-A). Pink-coloured solid, yield = 97%, mp 249-251 °C (dec); IR v _max 3388 (v N-H), 2963 (v C _sp3 -H), 1626 (v C=N), 1268 (v C-N), 1 179 (v C-O), 792 (δ C _sp2 -H) cm ^-1 ; ¹ H NMR (300 MHz, DMSO-d ₆ ): δ 0.93-0.98 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 3H, CH ₃ ), 1.65-1.72 (m, 2H, CH ₂ ), 3.63 (s, 3H, CH ₃ ), 3.82-3.87 (t, J = 6.4 Hz, 2H, CH ₂ ), 6.54-6.57 (dd, 1 H, Ar), 6.85-6.86 (d, J = 2.4 Hz, 1 H, Ar), 7.13-7.15 (d, J = 8.1 Hz, 1 H, Ar); ¹³ C NMR (75 MHz, DMSO-d _e ) δ 10.97 (CH ₃ ), 22.67 (CH ₂ ), 52.39 (OCH ₃ ), 69.84 (OCH ₂ ), 109.39 (Ar), 1 14.69 (Ar), 154.32 (C=N).

Parbendazole-Na (PBZ-A). Pink-coloured solid, yield = 95%, mp 247-248 °C (dec); IR _max 3327 (v N-H), 2963 (v C _S p ₃ -H), 1625 (v C=N), 1594 (v C=C), 1280 (v C-N), 1 195 (v C-O), 790 (δ C _sp2 -H) cm ^-1 ; ¹ H NMR (300 MHz, DMSO-dg): <5 0.84-0.89 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 3H, CH ₃ ), 1.26-1.31 (m, 2H, CH ₂ ), 1.48-1.55 (m, 2H, CH ₂ ), 3.64 (s, 3H, CH ₃ ), 6.76-6.79 (dd, 1 H, Ar), 7.10-7.18 (m, 2H, Ar); ¹³ C NMR (75 MHz, DMSO-d _e ) δ 14.30 (CH ₃ ), 22.18 (CH ₂ ), 35.58 (CH ₂ ), 39.07 (CH ₂ ), 52.39 (OCH ₃ ), 1 13.09 (Ar), 1 13.14 (Ar), 121.27 (Ar), 121.38 (Ar), 134.85 (Ar), 134.91 (Ar), 150.70 (C=N), 157.27 (NHCO).

EXAMPLE 2: Preparation of the enantiopure forms of the salt ABZ- SO-Na.

Enantiomeric separation of ABZ-SO-Na by semi-preparative HPLC was conducted on 1 -cm I.D. Chiralpak AD or Chiralpak IA columns, progressively increasing the amount of racemic mixture injected in a single phase. The mobile phase consisted of pure ethanol. The flow temperature and flow velocity were fixed at 25°C and 4.5 ml/min.

The injection of 15 mg of ABZ-SO-Na dissolved in 1 mL of methanol resulted in a complete enantioseparation, without peak overlapping, in a run time of about 15 min. After the semipreparative separation, the collected fractions were pooled, subjected to evaporation and analyzed by means of a chiral analytical column in order to determine their enantiomeric excess (e.e.). Both collected fractions were enantiomerically pure and the quantitative yields were about 90%. Therefore, the productivity of the sample of enantiomers of ABZ-SO-Na was about 650 mg per day.